By Tim Binnall
Curious cryptids, a possible connection between the Zodiac Killer and the Unabomber, and paranormal cases from Scotland were among the fascinating realms explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. And, here at the C2C website, we told you about a bizarre creature known as a manananggal, a bus driver's possible encounter with a ghost passenger, and the unfolding story of unidentified objects being shot down over North America. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
An intriguing theory from the world of true crime posits that the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the Bay Area in the late 1960s, was actually 'Unabomber' Ted Kaczynski. On Monday night's program, author Dr. Mark G. Hewitt made the case for this thought-provoking scenario by pointing to several details concerning the two miscreants which suggest that they were one in the same. Specifically, he noted linguistic similarities found in the writings of both individuals as well as how the Zodiac Killer included diagrams of bombs in two of his letters while such explosive attacks were, of course, the calling card of the Unabomber. Hewitt expressed doubt that Kaczynski would ever admit to the slayings, however, since the gruesome crimes would 'tarnish' his anti-technology manifesto.
The biggest story of the week in the world of weird undoubtedly centered around the three unidentified flying objects that were shot down by U.S. fighter jets. Unfolding over the course of several days, the strange mystery captivated the public, raised concerns about Chinese spying, and sparked speculation that perhaps the UFOs were alien in nature. That particular theory was seemingly put to rest when the government indicated that the objects were likely just harmless balloons. Be that as it may, the matter of how to deal with such UFOs proved to be serious enough that the White House formed a new task force to look into the issue and, by the end of the week, President Biden even addressed the nation about the events of the previous few days.
Cryptids were a hot topic of conversation on Coast to Coast AM this past week with a pair of programs exploring out-of-place and mysterious creatures. First, on Saturday night's show, Javier Morales and Jesus Lopez talked about their investigations into Bigfoot sightings in California's Central Valley, which they contend is home to not only Sasquatch, but also other Dogmen and other odd cryptid. Then, on Wednesday night, researcher Dr. Simeon Hein discussed the enigmatic nature of Bigfoot and how the creature appears to possess paranormal abilities such as cloaking and telepathy. He also observed that many Sasquatch reports also feature puzzling balls of light lingering around the area, which would seem to suggest some kind of otherworldly aspect to the events.
A particularly unique potential ghost video popped up in the news this past week by way of Singapore, where a bus driver was seemingly rattled by a spirit that wouldn't leave the vehicle. The eerie footage, filmed as the encounter unfolded, saw the man notice that his security monitor showed what appeared to be a dark figure sitting in a seat on the second level of the bus, despite also registering a passenger count of zero. When the bewildered witness went to investigate the situation, there was no one to be found and he proceeded to berate what he suspected to be a ghost playing tricks on him.
While the United States is replete with classic UFO cases, seasoned students of the phenomenon know that nearly every country has its own unique history with mysterious objects in the sky. On Thursday night's program, paranormal researcher Malcolm Robinson detailed iconic Scottish UFO cases, including a 1996 event known as the 'Falkland Hill incident,' wherein a family observed a black triangular craft seemingly dispatch a crew of beings down into a forest, and a 1992 case in which a pair of men claimed to be abducted while driving down a highway. Later in the conversation, he delved into other paranormal events in Scotland, like an infamous poltergeist case and, of course, the Loch Ness Monster.
One of the odder creatures that we've come across in quite some time made headlines in the Philippines this past week when a pair of girls claimed to have spotted a mythical entity known as a manananggal, a menacing bat-like being that is said to be able to split its body at the torso. The unsettling sighting was apparently so traumatic that the two young women wound up receiving counseling following their experience and soon a full-fledged panic had broken out in their community. The widespread fear became so significant that police were eventually forced to hold a press conference where they pledged to investigate the girls' account and pleaded with residents to stop spreading rumors of a manananggal being in their midst.
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